Chapter 373: Aurora Shelter

Instead, this orb was far more suitable for awakening one of his women.

Among them, Divya had already awakened the Tsunami Wave ability, while Luna was already an Awakener.

That only left Sophia and Anjali.

After making up his mind, Vikram called the two of them over.

"I have something for you both."

The two women walked into the living room, their curious gazes immediately falling on the radiant golden orb resting in Vikram’s palm.

A soft holy light spread from the orb, making the entire room feel warm and peaceful.

Vikram briefly explained its effects before handing the orb to them.

"This is the Justice Light Orb."

"It can permanently strengthen your physique and has a chance to awaken a Light or Vitality-type ability."

"I’ve also prepared this."

As he spoke, he took out the Lucky Jewel.

"Its effect can increase the probability of successfully awakening the ability."

After hearing the explanation, Anjali stared at the glowing orb for a while before pouting.

She crossed her arms and shook her head.

"No. This doesn’t suit me."

Vikram raised an eyebrow.

"It doesn’t?"

Anjali nodded seriously.

"Light... justice... protecting people..."

She pointed at herself.

"Vik, do I look like someone who matches that?"

Seeing her serious expression, Vikram couldn’t help but chuckle.

Anjali continued, "If it were a Shadow Orb... an Assassin Orb... or even a Seduction Orb..."

"I’d definitely fight Sophia for it. But this Justice thing..."

She shook her head repeatedly. "It doesn’t fit my personality."

Hearing that, Vikram couldn’t help but nod.

She wasn’t wrong.

Turning his gaze toward Sophia, he asked,

"What about you?"

Sophia looked at the orb quietly before gently nodding.

"I’ll use it."

"Whether I awaken an ability or not, the increase in physique alone is already worth it."

"And if I do awaken one..."

She looked at Vikram with a gentle smile. "I’ll be able to help you more."

Vikram smiled and handed the purple Lucky Jewel to Sophia first.

"Eat this before using the orb."

Sophia obediently nodded.

She swallowed the Lucky Jewel, which instantly transformed into countless tiny purple specks of light that merged into her body.

Only after that did Vikram place the Justice Light Orb into her hands.

Taking a deep breath, Sophia slowly closed her eyes.

Then, without any hesitation... She swallowed the Justice Light Orb.

The next instant... A brilliant golden light burst forth from Sophia’s body, illuminating the entire living room.

—

Half an hour passed.

The brilliant golden radiance surrounding Sophia gradually faded, finally disappearing into her body.

Unlike Divya, who had immediately fallen unconscious after awakening her ability, Sophia remained standing the entire time.

She slowly opened her eyes.

Golden light briefly flickered within her pupils before returning to normal.

Sophia blinked a few times before subconsciously clenching and unclenching her fists.

A strange yet comfortable warmth continuously flowed through every part of her body.

She lowered her head and looked at her hands in disbelief.

"I..."

"It worked?"

She could clearly feel that her body had become much lighter than before.

Not only had her physique improved considerably, but even her mind felt clearer.

It was as if an endless stream of gentle energy was circulating inside her body.

She raised one hand.

Following her thoughts, tiny golden particles of light slowly gathered above her palm.

The scattered light gradually condensed into a small glowing sphere, illuminating the surrounding area.

Although it wasn’t particularly powerful, it gave everyone an indescribable sense of warmth and safety.

Sophia stared blankly at the light floating above her hand.

"So... this is my supernatural ability..."

She had never imagined that one day she would become an Awakener herself.

Looking at Vikram, her eyes gradually turned red. She walked over and gently hugged him.

"Thank you... If it weren’t for you... I would probably still be an ordinary Survivor."

Vikram smiled and lightly patted her back.

"You’re one of my people. There’s no need to thank me."

Only then did Sophia reluctantly let go, but the smile on her face refused to disappear.

She could clearly feel another change.

Not only had her strength increased, but the exhaustion accumulated from the past few days had completely disappeared.

Instead, she felt more energetic than ever before.

Even her previous minor injuries and muscle soreness had vanished without a trace.

"It feels amazing. I don’t feel tired at all. It’s as if my entire body has been reborn."

Vikram nodded slightly.

"As expected of a Legendary-grade orb. The effects are indeed much stronger than ordinary awakening items."

Standing beside them, Anjali watched the entire scene with sparkling eyes.

At first, she had confidently rejected the Justice Light Orb.

But now... Seeing Sophia successfully awaken a supernatural ability... She suddenly felt a little envious.

Of course, she was genuinely happy for Sophia as well.

She quickly ran over, curiously poking the small golden light floating above Sophia’s palm.

"Wow... It really worked."

Then she turned around and looked pitifully at Vikram.

"Vik... You have to find an orb for me too. I want a supernatural ability as well."

Vikram couldn’t help laughing, "Weren’t you the one who refused it just now?"

Anjali scratched her cheek awkwardly, "I still don’t like the Justice ability... But seeing Sophia awaken one... I suddenly feel a little jealous."

Then she hurriedly waved both hands.

"But don’t bring me another Justice Orb. If you find a Shadow Orb, Assassin Orb, Wind Orb, or even a Seduction Orb..."

She smiled mischievously. "I promise I’ll eat it immediately."

Seeing Anjali’s eager expression, everyone in the room burst into laughter.

Vikram shook his head helplessly. "Alright. If I find one that suits you, it’ll be yours."

Anjali immediately cheered.

"Hehe!"

"I knew Vik treats me the best."

Vikram looked at the four women with a meaningful smile.

"So... You’ve received your gift. I think it’s my turn to receive mine."

The moment those words left his mouth, the living room fell silent.

Sophia’s face instantly turned crimson. She lowered her head, not daring to meet Vikram’s eyes. After all, she had just awakened thanks to him. She wanted to refuse out of embarrassment, but after remembering everything Vikram had done for her, the words simply wouldn’t come out.

After a moment of hesitation, she gently nodded.

"...Alright."

Seeing her shy expression, Vikram smiled in satisfaction. Without saying another word, he bent down, wrapped an arm around Sophia’s waist, and effortlessly lifted her into his arms.

"Ah!"

Sophia let out a soft yelp before instinctively wrapping her arms around his neck. "B-Be careful..."

Vikram chuckled, his hand gently squeezing her soft backside. "Don’t worry. I won’t let you fall."

With that, he carried her toward the bedroom. Once inside, he laid her gently on the bed and began kissing her deeply, his hands exploring her body with clear hunger. Sophia’s soft moans soon filled the room as he undressed her and entered her slowly but passionately. "Vikram... ahh... you’re so big today..."

Watching the two disappear through the doorway, Divya, Luna, and Anjali exchanged glances. For a few seconds, none of them spoke.

Finally, Anjali scratched her cheek awkwardly. "Um... Do you really think Sophia can handle Vik alone?"

Divya immediately shook her head. "Not a chance."

Luna sighed helplessly, already knowing how things would turn out. "Sophia just awakened today. She’ll be exhausted before long."

Anjali nodded repeatedly. "I was thinking the same thing."

The three women looked at one another again before silently reaching the same conclusion. Without another word, they stood up one after another and quietly walked toward the bedroom as well.

Soon, the bedroom door gently closed.

Inside, the passionate sounds of pleasure echoed. Vikram took Sophia with deep, intense thrusts, making her moan his name sweetly. When Divya, Anjali, and Luna joined, the room became filled with overlapping moans and loving whispers. Vikram moved between them with tireless energy, kissing, touching, and satisfying each one in turn until all four women were left trembling and thoroughly spent in his arms.

The quiet Treehouse once again returned to its peaceful atmosphere.

---

Aurora Shelter.

"Hey, guys, what kind of good life do you think we’ll have once we get into Aurora Shelter?"

Looking at the massive, tall, and imposing city wall, the several Survivors queuing outside all wore excited expressions.

"I heard life inside the Aurora Shelter is like paradise on Earth."

"As long as you finish a few daily tasks, not only are three meals a day guaranteed, but every meal has meat."

"Yeah, yeah! I even heard they hand out fresh fruits every day. Imagine... fruits in the Wasteland!"

"Tch, that’s nothing. I heard every newcomer gets their own private room, complete with electricity, hot water, and even air conditioning."

"Your information is already outdated. My cousin’s friend joined a few days ago. He said that as long as Survivors voluntarily join Aurora Shelter’s combat team, they receive a huge pile of crystals after every mission."

"I also heard that anyone who performs well gets free firearms and equipment from the Shelter."

"And I heard the Shelter Leader personally rewards talented people. As long as your physique is good enough, you can become a captain within a month."

"Forget that. Someone told me Aurora Shelter even has doctors, medicine, and a bathhouse. They can take hot showers whenever they want."

"Hmph, that’s still not the best part. I heard beautiful women voluntarily line up to become companions for powerful Survivors. You don’t even have to worry about finding a wife anymore."

"Hahaha! At this rate, our physiques will reach the level of those small Shelter bosses outside within just two weeks."

"I even heard that after living there for a few months, they can awaken supernatural abilities. Maybe we’ll become Awakeners too!"

Although these rumors sounded somewhat unbelievable, every one of them had been personally invited by Aurora Shelter and was only permitted to enter after undergoing a "strict" assessment and screening.

Because of that, not only did they not doubt these promises, but they even believed such treatment was only natural after passing the assessment.

Among this group were most of the members who had defected from Blue Frost Shelter a few days earlier.

Although some of them still harbored a trace of suspicion, they were now penniless.

So, no matter how bad the situation turned out to be, how much worse could it really get?

In their minds, the worst outcome would simply be becoming laborers in another shelter.

If they were deceived, so be it. At least inside Aurora Shelter, they wouldn’t have to worry about the terrifying insect tides.

Hadn’t they personally seen the wide moat surrounding the Shelter, along with the anti-insect herbs smeared all over the city walls?

Just then, the massive city gate slowly opened.

A survivor walked out from inside.

"They’re here!"

"They’re finally here!"

Everyone immediately looked over with eager expressions.

However, for some reason, the Survivor who came out didn’t say a single word.

He merely stood there, quietly smiling as he looked at them.

Nevertheless, the Survivors, whose minds were already filled with thoughts of a better life, paid no attention to such a minor detail.

Under his guidance, they obediently walked through the city gate one after another.

On top of a high-rise building inside Aurora Shelter, a male Survivor watched the entire scene with his arms folded across his chest.

A faint smile gradually spread across his lips.

"Another batch of new pigs..."